The Ultimate Sacrafice
by Kumori sensei
Summary: Sasuke has been captured and brought back to Konoha but things turn for the worse. Naruto has to save Sasuke but at what price? Character death. Mostly one-sided narusasu. I own nothing.


The Ultimate Sacrifice

Sasuke cried out in pain. He couldn't hold it in anymore. This was torture and he'd reached his limit. Yet, still he fought to keep as much control as he could. He resisted and struggled. When it became too overwhelming for him he passed out. Later he would wake up battered, bruised… and broken on a cot in his cell. Sasuke used to live for the moments Naruto was there, which was regularly, but now even that wasn't enough. He was lost.

However, Naruto still came to visit. It angered him

beyond belief that Sasuke was treated this way and it broke his heart a little more each day. He's long since lost the ability to smile. Naruto sighed as his eyes landed on the raven. Sasuke didn't acknowledge him. He didn't acknowledge anybody anymore. Half the time he wasn't even coherent enough to eat. It could be seen in his body now.

Naruto knelt by the cot he was laying on. Sasuke stared fixatedly at the ceiling. Naruto often wondered how Sasuke thought of him. They both knew he knew what was happening and yet he did nothing. At least, for all Sasuke knew anyway but Naruto did everything he could. If he knew of a way to break him out he would have done it but there were so many alarms and Tsunade had assigned Anbu to watch him at all times in case he tried anything.

That hit him hard. Tsunade was just _letting_ this happen.

It wasn't right. Naruto sighed and stared solemnly. He touched the raven gently on the arm. Only with a couple fingers. Sasuke had been so abused that he flinched and recoiled at anything more than a feather light touch. His kyuubi chakra flowed into him and healed all of Sasuke's wounds. The raven's body relaxed slightly but he knew it was only from relief from the pain. It meant nothing.

However, Naruto clung onto that reaction. Even if he could only give Sasuke a small comfort it was better than nothing. He crossed his arms on the cot and dropped his head onto them. At this point he knew it wouldn't make much of a difference but he was still determined to set Sasuke free. If he was lucky, when he finally managed it, Sasuke would be able to pull himself back together again.

He wondered if Sasuke would hate him afterwards. If he would be angry with him. Either way, Naruto didn't care. He had dragged Sasuke back here because he didn't want to give up the life he had. Now however, he wished he had just let Sasuke go. It was clear that Sasuke would have been better off that way. He would fix things though. No matter what he had to sacrifice. His dreams, his home, his hopes… his life. Everything. He would give up anything for Sasuke.

Naruto glanced back at the cage doors. He would put a seal on it preventing anyone but him from entering. He nodded to himself. That would do. He would be returning tonight to take Sasuke away. He knew what he had to do. Naruto rose from the floor and stared down at Sasuke. It wouldn't be long now. Naruto ran a hand through his hair sadly. It was time to go.

"I'm so sorry Sasuke." Naruto said. "If I hadn't brought you back here then… then you wouldn't have gone through all of this. It will be over soon though. I promise."

Then Naruto turned and walked away. He knew Sasuke wouldn't even acknowledge what he said, never mind reply. Honestly, he wondered if Sasuke even heard him. Little did he know as he walked away that Sasuke's eyes drifted to him. However, by the time Naruto turned around outside the cell Sasuke was staring at the ceiling again. Naruto silently placed the seal on the door and walked away. He went home, one last time, to prepare for everything.

It didn't go according to plan. It started off smoothly. He dealt with the Anbu rather easily. He had become familiar with their habits after having them around so often. Oh, he had made sure to prepare himself for them after his first attempt to save Sasuke and they foiled it. Naruto was rather pleased when this time he defeated them effortlessly.

As he expected, when Tsunade discovered that Sasuke's cell had been sealed, she went to Naruto to demand he fix it. However, Naruto had been waiting outside the entire time, hidden from her so that he could retrieve Sasuke once she was gone. However, something he didn't foresee happened. The old rookie nine had been dispatched to guard Sasuke immediately after Tsunade discovered what happened with Naruto.

Naruto didn't know this of course. Foolishly, he chose not to eavesdrop on the conversation. Sasuke was locked up somewhere else and he had only seen the frantic shinobi rush into Tsunade's office to inform her that there was no way to get into Sasuke's cell. She didn't need to go there to understand what had happened. Together they headed straight for Naruto's place. In the meantime Naruto went to Sasuke's cell.

Upon arrival were the people he once called friends. His expression immediately darkened when he saw them. Up to this point he had still trusted them. In a second that trust was shattered. His heart pounded erratically in his chest. He didn't have time to fight them all but what else could he do? It wouldn't take long for Tsunade to confirm her suspicions of his plan and come herself and if that happened then there was no way he could win.

Naruto scowled. Despite everything, he wasn't sure he had it in him to kill them. It tore his heart in half but he couldn't afford to be careful. If he did he knew he would fail. He promised Sasuke that he would get him out, didn't he? It was now or never. Naruto knew he would never get this chance again. Hell, he might even end up executed if he was caught. He made a last ditch effort and pleaded with them but to no avail.

"Give it up Naruto." Kiba said. "You failed. Sasuke is gone and he isn't worth it anyway. You lost, we won. There's nothing more you can do."

"Some friends you are." Naruto said tightly.

It scared a lot of them as they saw what looked like the last bit of light in Naruto's eyes die out. Immediately, they knew their Naruto was gone. This one has forsaken everything. All for the raven haired man hidden in a cell underneath them. Underground. It was a bloody battle. At the end of it his old friends lay crumpled on the floor. Naruto couldn't have told you if he killed any of them or not. He could sense Tsunade. He didn't have the time to think about it and fall apart at the seams from what he did.

Naruto quickly descended the floors and went to Sasuke. He placed his hand on the seal and the door clicked open. Naruto strode in. It was only as he reached for Sasuke that he noticed he was covered in blood. Flashes of the battle appeared in his eyes and he flinched. He pushed the thoughts away. He had to keep himself together. For Sasuke. He could break once Sasuke was broken no more and free.

After a moment's hesitation he lightly grabbed Sasuke's hand. The raven didn't flinch or recoil much to Naruto's relief. Naruto pulled him to his feet and hurriedly guided him up to the world above. Sasuke stared at him as they ran. As they were reaching the top Naruto heard Tsunade's enraged roar. He lurched to a stop and, for a moment, he froze. Then he cursed and looked around. It would end badly if they met with Tsunade.

Even if there was a chance under normal circumstances that he might be able to beat Tsunade in a fight he wasn't in the condition for it anymore. The fight with his friends took too much out of him. The thought of them made him flinch again. He was oblivious to Sasuke being aware of this. Of him. A boiling anger had been simmering under the surface for so long and now he could feel it being pushed away as he watched Naruto.

_ What has he done? He's covered in blood._ Sasuke thought. _On top of that he's clearly traumatized himself by something. Those eyes are haunted, they might even look as dead as mine now. No, they aren't, not right now. He's too focused on the situation at hand. He hasn't allowed any of it to sink in yet because he can't afford to. What will he be like after this?_

Sasuke found the brief lapse of worry leaded him to hate the blond even more. The sympathy vanished as he felt Naruto didn't deserve it. He deserved nothing and he hated Naruto for making him feel for him. Suddenly, Naruto started coughing up blood. He stared into his hand grimly. Clearly, he understood what that meant. Sasuke didn't know. It could be poison or just side effects to a sustained wound. He could have injured his liver or something.

After a moment, Naruto made up his mind and started to lead him in a new direction. He guided them through the jail and eventually they left the god forsaken place. Sasuke was relieved to feel the cool breeze on his skin after being locked underground for so long. It was dark out, making for an easier escape. Naruto chose a longer but more obscure route. It was necessary given the blonde's state.

Sasuke watched as Naruto collapsed on the ground and started hacking profusely, more blood coming up. His breathing was ragged and he was clenching his chest. If Sasuke had to make a guess he would say Naruto was poisoned but who would know a poison that the kyuubi couldn't heal? He couldn't think of many people and all seemed ridiculous. Naruto leaned against a tree and stared up at the sky.

"Did you even think this through?" Sasuke demanded harshly.

Naruto looked at him in surprise and attempted to answer but it only resulted in another coughing fit. Sasuke looked down at him in distain and disgust. It surprised Sasuke when he saw Naruto smile. He didn't realize by having stopped pretending and ignoring the blond he had proven that he was still him. That he wasn't as broken as Naruto thought him to be. That meant that Naruto accomplished everything he had wanted to.

"What are you smiling for?" Sasuke said.

"Doesn't… matter." Naruto managed to rasp out. "Go."

"What?" Sasuke said, feeling his anger boil.

"Can't… ugh." Naruto groaned and doubled over.

Sasuke scowled and came up to him. He crouched down and punched Naruto. The blond didn't even react and Sasuke found it gave him no satisfaction. He glanced at his hand. It was wet. Naruto was drenched in sweat. Why hadn't he noticed until now? Sasuke pressed the back of his head against his forehead. Naruto was on fire. Sasuke stared at him in disbelief. How had be gotten this far in his condition and then it dawned on him what he was trying to say earlier. He couldn't go any further so he was telling Sasuke to leave him behind.

"You can't be serious." Sasuke said in a monotone.

Naruto smiled at him bitterly. It made Sasuke wary, seeing him like this. He had seen Naruto every day. He always looked sad. He didn't smile. He looked almost defeated. Sasuke had brushed that aside as just his guilt that he wasn't doing more and admittedly Sasuke blamed him for that too. Now Sasuke was forced to acknowledge that it might have been more than that. That he wasn't that way only around him. That it ate at him more than Sasuke had been willing to acknowledge.

Suddenly, it occurred to Sasuke that the blond was dying. It was clear that Naruto's kyuubi power couldn't save him this time. Even if he brought him with him… Naruto would not survive. It wasn't a question of whether he was willing to overlook his anger, hurt, and betrayal. It was a matter of how he would leave Naruto to die. The realization hit him harder than he would have thought it would. He swallowed thickly. He clenched his fists in a rage. He wanted to hate Naruto and he did but he hated him for the fact that he couldn't.

He watched in horror as the light seemed to slowly die. He couldn't move. He could only watch on, unable to do a thing as the poison spread.

"I'm sorry… that it took me so long to get you out but…" Naruto started coughing profusely and continued on in a strained voice. "Now you're free."  
He watched as Naruto's eyes slipped closed and he howled. Sasuke punched the ground. How was he supposed to hate him when he had died for him? How could he when he knew that at the end he had given up everything for him? Sasuke didn't even realize the full extent of it. He dropped his head onto the strong chest and ordered Naruto to "wake up" and "don't die" over and over again. He didn't acknowledge the tears flowing down his cheeks.


End file.
